Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae

Elizabeth R. Zinn
Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College
P.O. Box 263
Wolf Lake, IN 46796
LisaRZ@goshen.edu

EDUCATION

Ed.D. in Science - Ball State University, Muncie, IN.
Doctoral Candidate, ABD. Expected matriculation: May 2011.
Major: Natural Resources and Environmental Management; Cognate: Biology
Dissertation: The efficiency of constructed wetlands for the removal of the antimicrobial agent Triclosan
Advisor: Dr. Jarmila Popovicova

M.En. Environmental Science - Miami University, Oxford, OH.
December 2002
Concentration: Conservation Biology
Thesis: Avian response to lakeshore cottage development in northwest lower Michigan
Advisor: Dr. Robert Blair

Bachelor of Arts - Houghton College, Houghton, NY.
May 1992
Major: Biology with Environmental Concentration

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Environmental Science Educator/Faculty, Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College. Goshen, IN. July 2003 to Present.

Teacher, High School Chemistry and Earth Science, Southern Tier Christian Academy. Jamestown, NY. 2002/2003.

High School Program Director, Au Sable Institute of Environmental Science. Mancelona, Michigan. 2001/2002.

Director of Environmental Education, State YMCA of Michigan. Central Lake, Michigan. 2000/2001.

Program Assistant, Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies. Mancelona, MI. 1994-1998.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Graduate Level Teaching Experience

ENED 550 Research Materials and Methods for Environmental Education
Goshen College
July-Sept, 2008, 2009, 2010.
• Developed entire course curriculum for this graduate class including labs
• Taught all lectures and labs
• Taught students skills for using and maintaining professional-grade environmental monitoring equipment
• Introduced foundational statistical concepts and methods and taught students to do basic data analysis using computer software
• Explained inquiry teaching methods through lecture and demonstration inquiry labs, and evaluated student-developed inquiry curricular materials
• Advised students in designing and conducting a small-scale research project and evaluated these projects

ENED 510: Natural History of the Southern Great Lakes Region
Goshen College
July-Sept, 2010
• Designed all curriculum and materials for this graduate course in natural history.=
• Lectured on ecosystems, and biotic and abiotic foundations
• Conducted student-centered ecosystem investigations in which students selected species they wished to identify and then taught their classmates
• Evaluated student conceptual learning through the use of concept maps for each ecosystem covered
• Integrated technology by having each student set up a blog in which they kept a record of the details of the species they investigated during their field work
• Led class discussion on readings from classic natural history writers


ENED 580: Practicum in Environmental Education
Goshen College
Sept-Nov, 2009; Feb-May 2010
• Organized student teaching schedules for their environmental education teaching practicum
• Advised students on the development of curricular materials they would use for EE programs
• Conducted weekly discussions about student teaching experiences
• Taught sessions on instruction strategies and management skills for EE non-formal settings
• Observed and evaluated student teaching
• Reviewed evaluations with students and provided feedback and future goals for their teaching
• Developed plans for student participation in program preparation and program site maintenance
• Led discussions and evaluated blog responses about assigned readings

Graduate Advisor
Goshen College
July 2008-present
• Served as primary advisor to graduate student projects in their Master of Arts in Environmental Education program
• Helped student develop and conduct surveys, conduct fieldwork, and analyze collected data
• Advised students on research in the following areas:
o Conducting surveys on the attitudes and behaviors of farmers market shoppers
o Analyzing Field sparrow and Yellow Warbler populations from bird banding data
o Evaluating the effectiveness of citizen science for wetland monitoring
o Evaluating the effect of oak savannah restoration on woodpecker populations
o Assessing the long-term student learning from a one-day wetland investigation experience

BIOL 520: Instrumentation for Biological Science
Goshen College
July 2005, 2006, 2007
• Introduced high school science teachers to a wide range of professional grade environmental monitoring equipment, and led hands-on learning experiences with this equipment
• Led discussion on the use of environmental monitoring equipment in the high school classroom
• Evaluated student-developed lesson plans that incorporated equipment into their own classroom settings

Undergraduate Teaching Experience

Maple Scholars Student Research Advisor
Goshen College
Summer 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• Designed a range of summer research projects for undergraduate students which included:
o Investigating bird community composition and the surrounding ecological communities
o Monitoring avian productivity and survivorship through bird banding research
o Evaluating the efficiency of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment
• Supervised students in data collection and analysis
• Assisted students in the preparation and presentation of their work to a weekly group of peer researchers

Environmental Ethics
Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies
January 2008, January 1995 and 1996
• Developed and taught a portion of the lectures focusing on issues surrounding biodiversity and invasive species

Interdisciplinary Science
Miami University, Western College Program
August - December 1999, January – May 2000
• Developed the content and taught a portion of the lectures focusing on ecological foundations for sustainable practices
• Developed the content and led one of the lab sections; lab topics focused on current environmental issues
• Evaluated and graded student lab work

Introduction to Biology
Houghton College
1990, 1991, 1992
• Taught lab sections for a non-major biology course
• Developed and graded weekly lab quizzes
• Graded student lab reports
• Prepared and set up lab experiments

High School Teaching Experience

Chemistry and Earth Science
STCA Academy
Falconer, NY
2003-2004
• Taught 11th grade Chemistry and 9th and 10th grade Earth Science classes
• Selected all teaching materials and lab experiments
• Prepared teaching demonstrations and lab exercises
• Developed assessment tools for all classes
• Conducted New York State Regents exam in Earth Science

Elementary and Informal Teaching Experiences

Environmental Education Teacher
Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College
Goshen, IN
2003-Present
• As part of the Environmental Education team, led day-long Environmental and Natural History programs for visiting K-12 school groups for 7,000 students annually
• Developed and taught EE programs for preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, college and adult groups
• Led programs in Ornithology, Natural History, Water Quality, Wetland Investigation, Biodiversity, Historic farming, Maple Syrup making, Forest Investigation, Prairie Studies, Orienteering, Geocaching and others
• Trained and supervised volunteers, interns, and graduate students in teaching EE programs
• Worked as part of the education team to develop new programs, and to evaluate and improve existing programs
• Planned and delivered public workshops for adults and families in different areas of Natural History

PAPERS

Effects of surrounding landscape features on avian populations.
Indiana Academy of Science Proceedings. Zinn, L., and Weber, D., October 2005

The response of avian populations to lakeshore cottage development in North West Lower Michigan. Master’s Thesis. Miami University, Oxford, OH. July 2002.

Environmental Education Curriculum for Christian Camps. Au Sable Institute Publication. 1998.

PRESENTATIONS

The efficiency of constructed wetlands for the removal of the antimicrobial agent Triclosan. Indiana Academy of Science, Kokamo, IN. March, 2010.

Environmental Education. Indiana Land Trust Alliance. Indianapolis, IN. March, 2009.

Spring Forest Ephemerals. Presented to Whitley County Garden Club. May, 2009.

Green and Sustainable building design, LEED Platinum Certification. Sustainability Summit for Indiana Colleges and Universities, Ball State University, Muncie, IN. February, 2008.

The affects of Lakeshore cottage development on bird populations. Presented to Three Lakes Association of Northern Michigan. July, 2001.

Avian ecology in North West Lower Michigan. Presented to Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies. July, 2001.

HONORS, AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Indiana Academy of Science Research Grant
J. F. New Research Grant
Indiana Academy of Science Travel Grant
Bridging the Gap Research Assistantship
Western College Teaching Assistantship

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Indiana Academy of Science
North American Association of Environmental Education
Environmental Education Association of Indiana
Organization of Biological Field Stations

ACADEMIC SUPPORT EXPERIENCE

Member of planning and design committee for developing a Master of Arts in Environmental Education for Goshen College.

Member of planning and design committee for developing an interdisciplinary fall semester program in Sustainability for Goshen College.

Member of collegiate program committee for advancing collegiate studies at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College.

Participated in Conferences to promote science education at Biological Field Stations such as the National Environmental Observatory Network and the Organization of Biological Field Stations.

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS

Removal of the antibacterial agent Triclosan in Constructed Wetlands used for Wastewater Treatment.
Effectiveness of inquiry methods in environmental education for long-term learning
Effectiveness of Citizen Science for Wetland Monitoring
The effect of wetland restorations on bird community composition
Study of bird productivity and survivorship through bird banding. MAPS program.

SKILLS AND INTERESTS

Website Construction.
• Designed and maintain the current Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center Website.
• Work with campus IT to integrate the site with the Goshen College Website.
• Assist staff and students in creating website content and use of website design software.


Bird Banding and Research
• Licensed Master Bird Bander
• Run two banding stations as part of the national bird population study MAPS (Monitoring Avian Populations and Survivorship)
• Attended two advanced bird banding training sessions conducted by the Institute for Bird populations that focused on aging captured birds
• Spearheaded all research at Merry Lea involving bird including bird inventories, coordinating participation in annual bird census, and local bird population studies
• Trained and supervised college students and volunteers to assist in the bird banding research

Birding
• Organized community team bird watching challenges each spring from March through May
• Led three to four day birding trips for community member to regional birding hotspots
• Taught four day mini-course for adult life-time learner program in beginning birding
• Regularly led public bird hikes for all ages